Short-eared Owl at La Janda (Cádiz)
December 18 2012
Dear reader!
Heavy fog was hanging yesterday morning above La Janda. First we had been disappointed, because the weather forecast promised bright sunshine. But very soon our mood changed quickly in great joy. Because we discoverd this Short-eared Owl, which …
… showed itself - maybe due to this dull weather - active for the whole day and ignored us in our car completely:
Again and again the Short-eared Owl started for hunting flights and we only could follow with our binoculars. But …
… to our great surprise she always came back close to us, shook here beautiful plumage and …
… posed in the first tender sunlight, which broke through the fog:
Overpowered from tiredness or because its beautiful yellow eyes were sensible against the sunlight …
… she was closing them more and more often:
But not for one moment she lost alertness!
Suddenly a noticeable restlessness overcame her. We thought that …
… she would start again to one of her hunting flights, but no, she …
… came even closer to us. Was a little mouse on move?
No, false alarm!
She was looking at us with her impressive beautiful eyes and our hearts raced in happiness and excitement! 
Meanwhile our beautiful feathered friend made a nap. But behind this peace obvious was another secret, because …
… suddenly big restlessness came over the bird, who was moving spasmodic and again and again choked:
The Short-eared Owl was at it to disgorge a pellet, which also …
… a little later fell to the floor:
After this big effort of digestion the Short-eared Owl looked a little bit embarrassed and exhausted, but was …
… afterward obviously relieved and also hungry, because …
… she again left for one of her hunting flights:
And again we were waiting while we observed her from far distance and saw, that she, like a flash, dashed to the ground, stayed there maybe to enjoy her prey:
But unbelievable, also when in her huge territory were many poles in the distance, which she could have used as perch, she came back to us and perched just in 5 meters distance from us!
These eyes, the wonderful framed face ... our feathered friend will stay in our memory! Never I would have guessed that a Short-eared Owl would let us take part of her life over so many hours. Again and again the nature got the most beautiful gifts on hand!
Time of parting had been there, because with the now so early coming dusk the Short-eared Owl again went for hunting and we on our long way home, during which we continuously enthuse about the extremely beautiful hours! An unforgettable day!!!
Best regards
Birgit Kremer